Shoe and process of manufacture



12, 1933- H. L. SUTCLIFFE 1,939,527

SHOE AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE Filed Nov. 4, 1933 2 sums-sheet 1 W I lllllllrlf I Dec. 12, 1933. H T CUFFE 1,939,527

SHOE AN'D PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE Filed Nov. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Upper las/ea w/f/r fempom/y s served f0 0 per .5 [mar nQ/f 4/12 Slum/r INVENTOR Patented Dec. 12, 1933 PATENT OFFICE" UNITED STATES 8 Claims.

The objects of this invention are to provide a comfortable well appearing shoe having the desired flexibility in the forepart of the same and. proper firmness about the heel portion, which will be light and strong, which will wear well and hold its shape and which can be manufactured economically with present day machines and all in a single lasting operation.

The foregoing and other desirable objects are attained by the novel construction and method of manufacture hereinafter disclosed and claimed.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the following specification illustrate the structure and process of the invention, but with the understanding that various changes and modifications may be made, within the true intent and broad scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating as one of the first stages of manufacture, the securing of a special channeled and shouldered shank on the last.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same as on substantially the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 'are views of the opposite faces of the special channeled and shouldered inner welt strip.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail of the latter as on 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the special welt strip secured on the last complementary to and as an extension of the channeled and shouldered shank.

Fig. 7 is a broken cross-sectional detail substantially as on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the lasting of the upper by tacking it to the shank and welt strip.

Fig. 9 is a broken cross-sectional detail as on substantially the plane of line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a broken cross-sectional detail illustrating the outer welt applied about the upper 1 and secured by through inseam stitching to the upper and the inner welt.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the edges of the upper and the inner and outer welt trimmed after stitching.

Fig. 12 is a broken cross-sectional detail illustrating the latter effect taken as on the plane of line l2- 12 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a broken sectional view illustrating the sole as applied over the shank, inside and outside welts and sewed to the outer welt.

Fig. 14 is a broken cross-sectional view of the finished shoe structure with the sock lining in place.

The shank which is designated 15, is of special structure, in that it is channeled along the sides as indicated at 16, from the heel portion toward the thinned flexible rounded forward end 17, of the same to provide the channel flaps l8, and in that it is shouldered along theedges of the. same at the outside of and co-extensive with the channel flaps as at 19.

As one of the first steps in manufacture, this shank is secured on the last 20, as by suitable tacks or fastenings 21. v

A special inner welt strip is provided, shown in. detail, in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, as consisting of a length of leather or other suitable material having a fiat underface 22, to be applied over the face of the last and on the opposite side a shouldered portion 23, to be co-extensive with the shoulder 19, of the shank and a channeled inside edge 24, to be co-extensive with the channels 16, of the shank.-

To facilitate the bending of this straight strip about the toe of the last, the outershouldered portion of the welt strip may be slotted or cut inwardly as indicated at 25, and the opposite inner beveled or feathered edge may be notched as indicated at 26. This construction permits the welt strip to be bent smoothly about the toe portion of the last without wrinkling. The ends of the welt strip at the underside may be thinned down or beveled substantially as indicated at 27, in Figs. 3 and 6, so as to fit down smoothly over the similarly tapered or thinned forward end portions of the shank.

The inner welt strip prepared as described, is secured on the last in overlapped relation over the forward part of the shank as by tacks28, driven through the inner beveled edge of the welt strip and with the channeled and shouldered portions of the same constituting forwardcontinuations of the correspondingly channeled and shouldered portions of the shank. Cement may be employed to hold the overlapping portions of the welt strip smoothly in place over the correspondingly shaped channel flaps of the shank.

The upper 29 with its lining 30, is lasted as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, it being shown in these views as secured by permanent tacks 31, about the heel portion, driven into the shank and by temporary lasting tacks or fastenings 32, driven into the thicker portions of the. shank and inner welt at the outside of the channel flaps of these shank and welt members.

After lasting in the manner described and the 110 parts set" in this relation, an outer welt is applied and secured by through stitching, to the upper, the inner welt and the channel flaps of the shank. These features are shown in Fig. 10, where 33 designates the outer welt and 34 the stitching extending from the outer weltthrough the upper, lining, and through the thick part of the welt and shank, above the shoulder into the channel of these last mentioned parts. The ap plication of this outer welt and the sewing of the same as described may be accomplished on an ordinary inseam stitching machine, as will be understood by those skilled in this art. The temporary lasting nails 32, may be withdrawn prior to or as this inseam stitching progresses and since these fastenings are usually only lightly driven into the body of the welt and shank without penetrating the last, they will usually let go of themselves and be snapped out of the way. by the inseaming machine as the stitching is carried from one side of the shank. say

'from the point 35 in Fig. 11, forward and around the toe, back to the other end of other side of the shank at 36.

Before' stitching, the upper .may be forced down into the angle provided by the shoulders 19, 23, along the outside. of the shank and inner welt with a suitable hand tool, but usually this special hand operation is not necessary as the feeding of the shoe into the inseaming machine will have the effect of pressing the outer welt and upper into this depression, as indicated in Fig. 10, the stitches then fastening the parts tightly and firmly in this relation.

After the stitching operation, the projecting edges of the upper, lining, channel flap and edge of the outer welt are then all smoothly trimmed as indicated at 37, in Figs. 11 and 12.

After the outer welt is sewed to the upper, inside welt and shank as described, the tacks 28 and 21 securing the inner welt and shank to'the last may be drawn, since the parts in their 'secured relation will then firmly hold themselves in position on the last, ready for soling.

The sole. which is designated 38, is applied. usually with sufficient cement at 39, to secure it to the shank, and to the trimmed portions of the shank flaps, inside welt, edges of the upper, lining and the outer welt and then by welt stitching 40, which may be concealed, or not, as desired, the sole is sewed to the outer welt.

All the above operations are accomplished in relatively simple, successive steps, without delasting and without inserting or removing extra or unused parts. The inseaming is effected all as a part of the one lasting and the stitching extends through all the parts, that is, through the the welt at the outer welt, the upper and the channel flaps of the shank and inner welt, including the overlapping portions where the welt fiaps join the shank flaps. These assembled parts strengthen and reinforce each other coextensively without adding bulk to the shoe and while leaving the forepart of the shoe flexible and resilient.

The inner welt being constructed as a separate straight len th, can be cut from any desired material havin characteristics the same as, or different from the shank material. Thus this welt strip may be of more flexible character than the shank and overlapping the shank as it does, reinforces and is reinforced by'the thinned forward end portion of the shank.

In trimming, the stitched, attached portions of the outer welt, upper, inner welt and shank may be hammered down quite flat and smooth,

as in Figs. 13 and 14, so as to add no objectionable thickness to the sole and if desired; the sole may be beveled or thinned about the periphery of the same as indicated at 41, in Figs. 13 and 14, so as to leave the interior of the shoe entirely flat and smooth, avoiding the need for any filler and enabling the sock lining 42, to lay as fiat as desired.

The single sole in the combination described, provides a desired thinness, lightness and flexibility in the forepart of the shoe, without sacrificing strength or shape holding qualities and in conjunction with the shank at the rear givesto the heel portion the desired firmness and stiffness. Thus the shoe has the flexibility and comfort of a turned shoe in the forepart and the firm durable character of a welt or McKay shoe around the heel part and these effects are obtained without the objectionable manufacturing details required in the making of turned shoes.

What is claimed is: e

1. A single sole unturned shoe, comprising a shank channeled along the opposite sides of the same and shouldered along the edges at the outside of said channeling, a separately formed inner welt extending from said shank about the,

forepart of the shoe and similarly channeled about the inside of the same and shouldered about the outer edge of the same, the channeled and shouldered end portions of said inner welt overlapping the similarly channeled and shouldered forward portions of the shank, an upper extending over said shouldered edge portions of said shank and inner welt, an outer welt extending about said upper, stitching extending through said outer welt, upper and said shouldered and channeled portions of said shank and inner welt,

a sole applied over said stitched together por-,

tions of said outer welt, upper and shouldered and channeled portions of said shank and inner welt and stitching securing together said sole and outer welt.

2. A single sole unturned shoe, comprising a v shank having a thinned forward end and channel flaps extending along the sides of said shank from the heel portion to said thinned forward portion, a separately formed inside welt arranged with its ends overlapping the forward ends of said channeled portions of the shank and extending therefrom about the forepart 01' the shoe, an upper overlapping said channeled portions of the shank and said overlapping and forwardly extending portions of the inside welt, an outer welt about said overlapping portion of the upper, stitching extending continuously through said outer welt, upper, channeled portions of the shank and said overlapping and extended portions of the inside welt, a sole applied over said stitched together portions of the outer welt, upper, shank and inside welt and stitching securing said sole to said outer welt.

3.The herein disclosed process of manufacturing shoes, comprising supplying a shank channeled along its sides and shouldered at its edges, supplying a welt strip channeled along one edge andshouldered along the opposite edge, securing said shank and welt strip on a last with the channeled and shouldered portions of the same in overlapping and continuing relation, lasting an upper over said shouldered and channeled portions of said shank and welt outer welt about said lasted upper and stitching through said outer welt, upper and shouldered and channeled portions of the shank andwelt strip, applying an strip, applying a sole over said stitched to upper, channeled portions of the shank, inner welt and overlapping portions of the shank and inner welt, trimming away excess of said stitched together outer welt, upper and inner welt, applying a sole over said trimmed and stitched together parts and stitching said sole to said outer welt.

5. The herein disclosed process ot shoe man iacture, comprising providing 'a shank with stitching flaps along sides 0 the same, securing said shank on a last, ovi an inside welt strip 01a length to overlap the stitching flaps oi the shank, assembling said inside welt strip and upper on said last, positioning an outer welt about said upper, sewing through said outer welt, upper, stitching flaps of the shank, inside welt and overlapping portions of said inside welt and shank flaps, trimming away excess of said stitched together outer welt, upper and inside welt. and securing a, sole over said stitched,to-

" gether members and all as a part of the same single lasting operation.

6. The herein disclosed process of shoe manufacture, comprising securing a shank on a last, securing a separate inside welt strip on said last as a forward continuationot the shank and in overlapping order over the forward end portion of the shank, lasting an upper over said shank and said forwardly extending inside welt strip continuation of the same, applying=an outer welt about said lasted upper, stitching through overlapping portions oi said outer welt, upper, shank, inside welt and the overlapping portions of the shank and inside welt, trimming away excess of outer welt, upper and inside welt and, applying a sole and securing same to said stitched together members on the last and all without de-lasting.

7. The herein disclosed process of shoe manuiacture, comprising providing a shank vhaving shouldered edges and channeled marginal portions, securing said shank on a last, providing a welt strip having one edge channeled and the other edge shouldered and securing the same on the last with the channeled edge on the inside and the shouldered edge at the outside in continuation of the channeled and shouldered portion of the shank, lasting an upper over said parts, locating an outer welt about said upper and stitching through said outer welt, upper and said shouldered and channeled portions of the shank and inside welt strip .and securing a sole to said stitched together members on the last. a

, 8; A step-product of manufacture, comprising an insideiwelt strip channeled along the one edge and shouldered along the opposite edge, said shouldered edge being'slitted and, the channeled edge being notched opposit'e'the slitting of the shouldered edge. 1 A i 

